glish pockets by "ingeniously contrived series which
rendered the purchase of a single volume by no means so recommendable as
that of all." The "uncouth phraseology, crack-jack words, and puritan
derived words are nationalized and therefore do not permit cavilling,"
continued the reviewer, dismayed and disgusted that it was necessary to
warn his public, "but their children never did, or perhaps never will,
hear any other language; and it is to be hoped they _understand_ it. At
all events, we have nothing to do but keep ours from it, believing
firmly that early familiarity with refined and beautiful forms ... is
one of the greatest safeguards against evil, if not necessary to good."

However, the critic did not close his article without a good word for
those ladies in whose books we ourselves have found merit. "Their works
of amusement" he considered admirable, "when not laden with more
religion than the tale can hold in solution. Miss Sedgwick takes a high
place for powers of description and traits of nature, though her
language is so studded with Americanisms as much to mar the pleasure and
perplex the mind of an English reader. Besides this lady, Mrs. Sigourney
and Mrs. Seba Smith may be mentioned. The former, especially, to all
other gifts adds a refinement, and nationality of subject, with a
knowledge of life, which some of her poetical pieces led us to expect.
Indeed the little Americans have little occasion to go begging to the
history or tradition of other nations for topics of interest."

The "Westminster Review" of eighteen hundred and forty was also in doubt
"whether all this Americanism [such as Parley's 'Tales' contained] is
desirable for English children, were it," writes the critic, "only for
them we keep the 'pure well of English undefiled,' and cannot at all
admire the improvements which it pleases that go-ahead nation to claim
the right of making in our common tongue: unwisely enough as regards
themselves, we think, for one of the elements in the power of a nation
is the wide spread of its language."

This same criticism was made again and again about the style of American
writers for adults, so that it is little wonder the children's books
received no unqualified praise. But Americanisms were not the worst
feature of the "inundation of American children's books," which because
of their novelty threatened to swamp the "higher class" English. They
were feared because of the "multitude of false notions l